DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Feb 23, 2014

Nanaby: Gina

By the time I sent this email the thoracocentesis was already done on Nana. I was told that they took out 200 ml of clear fluid from the lung. The results to determine if it is a malignant pleural effusion will probably come next week. They also took a sample from the tumor, so we should know if we are talking about cancer by next week too. She is ok now, I think that she is more active than last week when the pleural effusion was there. I am still restraining her from any running, she is just going out two times a day with me. She stills sometimes tries to run. I understand that by her labs and her clinical manifestations she is behaving as if everything is completely normal. Still I am scared that some manifestations can start to appear suddenly and then we are too late for any treatment. If there are malignant cells in the pleural effusion or if the tumor is malignant, do you still recommend no surgery? I understand that every surgery carries its risks but she is well now and I would think she would be able to tolerate the procedure. I would not like to do nothing and then be sorry for my decision.
Additionally, the CT demostrates no abnormalities in the abdominal and pelvic area, they don't talk about the spleen, the radiologist says that everything is normal, so I suppose that the spleen is ok now or it was always ok. I understand that the spleen is a difficult organ to see in an XRay, so that could be the problem, or now is back to normal.

She is in no meds right now, she just finished her antibiotics three days ago.

Hi Gina,
You said that they drained 200 ml of clear fluid from Nana's chest. Clear fluid is more commonly seen when there is heart disease. Or problems with an obstruction of drainage from the lymph nodes. Cancer would not be high on my list of differentials.

You wrote,
"If there are malignant cells in the pleural effusion or if the tumor is malignant, do you still recommend no surgery? I understand that every surgery carries its risks but she is well now and I would think she would be able to tolerate the procedure. I would not like to do nothing and then be sorry for my decision."

If she were my dog, I would avoid surgery and do it only as a last resort. If she has a strong vital force, then she should respond to homeopathic remedies, and other supplements to support her immune system.

When the lab results come back, hopefully it is not malignant, and there are some other options to consider.

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Disclaimers: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a pet owner/site visitor and his/her local veterinarian(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified professional.

In the spirit of full
disclosure, we wanted to let you know that we proudly support this
website through advertising and affiliate marketing. In other words,
when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we
often earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep
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charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and
advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or
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